Innumerable mechanical devices exist for furnishing component materials or subassemblies to other construction devices. Frequently the precise position of such component materials relative to that of the construction device is highly critical for a properly assembled finished product.
One area in which such a need occurs is that of tire building machines. Previously these machines included a stationary headstock assembly having a selectively rotatable drum upon which the tire components are assembled, and at least one "butterfly" server having a plurality of material feed conveyors each of which is selectively alignable with the drum. At least for the construction of radial tires, it is highly important to precisely and accurately align tire component materials because of the various mechanical properties of these tires.
In order to insure a continuous supply of component materials, each feed conveyor is normally serviced by a continuous roll of the respective material, which material must be cut to suitable length before or during application to the tire drum. The design of certain radial tires requires that one or more component materials be stretched and tensioned during assembly on the building drum, necessitating that appropriate allowances be made when cutting and/or applying these components. In order to provide sufficient green strength for the stretching and tensioning, these components can be partially cured.
Heretofore, adjustments for both alignment and material length on tire building machines were made manually or with a mechanical system, if made at all.